8 Things You Need To Know This AM — Aug 25 2016

1. Major News: The death toll for the earthquake that struck Italy on Wednesday was raised to 120.

The U.S. Department of State has offered its condolences and support in the aftermath of the earthquake. State Dept. Spokesman John Kirby said, “The American people stand with Italians in this difficult time." (Read More)

2. World News: One person is dead and at least 18 people were injured in the attack on American University in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Dejan Panic, the program director at Kabul's Emergency Hospital, said that three of the 18 wounded were in serious condition, apparently from automatic gunfire. According to a government official, the individual killed is reported to be a guard employed by the university. (Read More)

3. In-The-Know: A 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar, just hours after a major quake devastated Italy.

Reports of fatalities have varied, but appear to be low. Local officials told the news agency that there had been three deaths, including two children who were killed when a riverbank collapsed. (Read More)

4. Geek Out: Astronomers found a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, one of the closest stars to Earth — and it could be another Earth.

The astronomers emphasize that thus far, much of their understanding of the planet — nicknamed Proxima b — remains speculative. But it could be more similar to our climate and ecosystem than any other planet we've discovered, which means that it could hypothetically support life. (Read More)

5. Talking Points: AFI canceled an upcoming screening of Birth of a Nation following scrutiny surrounding Nate Parker's 1999 rape charge.

Last week, Variety reported that the woman — who accused Parker and the film's co-writer, Jean Celestin, of having sex with her while she was unconscious, and later harassing her — killed herself in 2012. (Read More)

6. ICYMI: Female police officers in Scotland officially have the option of wearing a hijab as part of their uniform.

Religious headwear has always been an option for the officers and staff. But before the decision, female Muslim officers were allowed to wear the traditional headscarf only after getting the approval of their superiors, the International Business Times reported. (Read More)

7. Real Talk: One in five Americans has been in a non-monogamous relationship, according to a new study.

The researchers noted that, although age, race, political affiliations, and socio-economic status didn't affect the likelihood that someone had experienced a non-monogamous relationship, people who identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual were slightly more likely than those who identified as heterosexual to have been in an open relationship. (Read More)

8. Icebreaker: Hope Solo has been suspended by U.S. Soccer.

Hope Solo's soccer career could be over after U.S. Soccer suspended her and the national team terminated her contract. The suspension and release seem to be in connection to her remarks after the Swedish team eliminated the U.S. women from the Olympics. Solo called the opposing team "a bunch of cowards" after her team lost on penalty kicks. (Read More)